The comfort of a cat hybrid. ✔

Found cat.

Wilbur didn't even know where he was anymore.

The streets blended like they were mixed in leaden water; the buildings looked identical, and it felt like he was constantly running but getting nowhere. Rain weighed down his fur, the constant ache of sprinting down the empty streets creating even more of a strain as he begun to feel more and more sluggish.

He darted into an alleyway when he heard a dog bark, his hybrid side already restless without that interaction. Wilbur sniffed around some of the boxes, his paws gripping the lubricious stone tiles with endeavour when he realised how deep it was. The cat hybrid instinctually headed inside an open box, lifting a paw and gently whacking it to test the stability. He sighed frustratingly when it instantly collapsed, the sound echoing through the empty night. Wilbur never understood why his cat instincts always led him to carboard boxes, but it seemed this time he'd have to find something else.

He wondered deeper inside, noticing a small section hidden away by some of the boxes. The floor was covered in moss, concentrated in the corners and dark in colour. It matched the gloominess of the walls, further emphasising the sombre look of the place. Squeezing his way inside, he butted more boxes to block the entrance; immediately sighing in relief when less wind riffled his spikey fur. He carefully looked around, almost growling when the rain continued to fall rapidly on him. It wouldn't be a permanent solution, but it would do until he could figure out what to do.

God why did he allow himself to stay that long? He shivered rapidly, his brain throwing accusations and reassurances at him continuously, leaving him alone and helpless to making decisions. Wilbur knew the risk of staying with them, he shouldn't have allowed himself to bask in the comfort for so long. Maybe he could have pretended more, stayed in the house and not given up his act so pathetically like he had now.

The cat hybrid was familiar with spite of bitter weather, yet a dejected heart felt endlessly worse.

Wilbur curled into himself in a corner, the sluggish feeling in his brain having grown too much to be ignored. Why was he so damn tired? He would normally be able to last longer, his stamina having been built up to withstand the winters weather over time. Yet sleep pulled at his mind, and the cat hybrid couldn't help but drift into unconsciousness; his shivering dying down enough for his adrenaline to wear off. Something whispered in his mind that it wasn't a good thing, but he didn't ponder over it for long, allowing the exhaustion to consume him.

His mind went blank as he was absorbed into a dreamless sleep, the rain still pattering onto his exposed form.

--

It took Wilbur a while to realise what had woken him up.

He felt beyond groggy; his mind feeling that it was tangled in cotton wool no matter how much he tried to clear it. The cat hybrid slowly gained awareness of his surroundings, sighing gratefully when he noticed the rain starting to slow down and the relief it caused on his back. The shivering gradually returned as he fully woke up and soon his body was racked in shivers despite how much he curled into himself.

It was hard for him to think, any thought that surfaced to the front of his mind felt empty; clouded unintelligently in fog that he couldn't seem to clear. He realised that trying was rather fruitless, instead choosing to bask in the bliss of peace that he had been gifted, enjoying the solace of his hybrid and human side not fighting for attention. Everything was muffled, and the cat hybrid couldn't bring himself to care.